Material cutting apparatus with reciprocating cutting elements

ABSTRACT

Hole cutting and perforating apparatus including one or more suitably configured cutting members which are comprised of two or more cutting elements that are alternately displaced relative to each other as they are caused to impact, perforate and pass through a given work material so that each cutting element independently cuts through a portion of the work material and the sum of the independent cuts forms the desired hole or cut out.

United States Patent Cutter 1 51 July 18, 1972 54] MATERIAL CUTTINGAPPARATUS 1,450,945 4/1923 Furber ..83/682 x WITH RECIPROCATING CUTTING1,942,145 1/ 1934 Knight ..83/682 E ENTS 2,141,492 12/1938 Southwick......83/39 UX 2,168,766 8/1939 Dugaw ....83/684 X Inventor: J Cutter, 276Galli Drive. L95 2,299,818 10/1942 Gross ..83/109 Calif. 94022 2,412,06612/1946 Shear ....83/689 x [22] Filed: June 9 19 9 2,985,052 5/1961Mentzer 6t 81. ....83/61 8 X 3,031,905 5/1962 Phillips et al ..83/6.89 X[21] App]. No.: 831,375

Primary Examiner-Frank T. Yost s2 U.S. c1. ..83/l50, 83/167, 83/437,Alwmeyqlwmas Schmel and Claude "amrick 83/688, 83/689 ABSTRACT [51] Int.Cl. ..B26f l/02, B26f 1/ 14 Hole cutting and perforating apparatusincluding one or more Fidd of Search 437, 519, 682, 684, suitablyconfigured cutting members which are comprised of 83/687 570 two or morecutting elements that are alternately displaced relative to each otheras they are caused to im act, perforate [56] References cued and passthrough a given work material so th t each cutting UNITED STATES PATENTSelement independently cuts through a portion of the work material andthe sum of the independent cuts forms the 607, l Freese -.83/5 desiredhole o cut out 1,063,871 6/1913 Grover ..83/l09 1,146,971 7/1915 Stevens..83/ 109 X 22 Claim, 31 Drawing figures PATENYED JUL 18 I912 SHEET 1 0F4 FIG. 2(0) ST CYCLE FIG. 4(q) F|G.4(b)

3 RD CYCLE INVENTOR JAMES W CUTTER BY WA-L144 L- PAIENTEUJuuamn 3677.117

SHEET 2 OF 4 L'. 82 V l a 60 1 n 1 ga g az v 78 l "1? E? I o. 98 94 a; 1V

|o4 l WM 86 i l I02 1 1 INVENTOR JAM ES W. CUTTER BY mmk w L PATENIEDJyu 8 m2 SHEET 3 BF 4 FIG 5(0) iv INVENTOR. $9M ES W. CUTTE wuuw I47RNEV PATENTED Juu8|91z 3,671.1 17

SHEET u 0F 4 lllllllllll' INVEN TOR.

JAM ES CUTTER MATERIAL CUTTING APPARATUS WITH RECIPROCATING CUTTINGELEMENTS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relatesgenerally to hole cutting and perforating apparatus and, moreparticularly, to a novel high speed material cutting device whichoperates in a novel manner to progressively perforate various layers ofa work material as it cuts therethrough so that one or more holes or cutdesigns can be simultaneously provided through thicker materials thancould heretofore be effected using prior art hole punching or diecutting devices.

Heretofore, multiple hole punching devices have been, by necessity, veryheavy, rugged and costly structures because of the forces required todrive a plurality of punching heads through the work material. In mostof these punching devices, each punching member is comprised of a singlesolid element having a transverse cross section which is identical tothat of the hole punched. In order to perform its intended function thepunching member requires a complementary platform with holes which matewith the punching member so that when the material to be punched isplaced therebetween, the punching member can be driven through thematerial to shear away that material which lies beneath the end of thesolid element and above and mating female die of the platform.

Because of the nature of this type of device, i.e., the shear cut methodof punching, the thickness of the material which can be punched islimited to a relatively small thickness depending, of course, upon theshear characteristics of the work material. As a rule of thumb, thethickness of the work material punchable with a given prior art deviceis usually equal to or less than the diameter of the punching member andis directly related to the hole spacing where a plurality of holes areto be simultaneously punched. The reasons for such limitations areobvious to those knowledgeable in the art.

Furthermore, where the number of holes to be punched in the workmaterial is large and the holes are relatively closely spaced together,the mere force required to drive the plurality of punching membersthrough the material becomes quite large and necessitates a very sturdypunching structure. In order to reduce this required punching force,certain prior art devices, one of which is illustrated in the Widell US.Pat. No. 2,825,407, use staggered lengths of punching members suitablyganged together so that the various punching members successively engagethe work material. Although this feature does tend to reduce somewhatthe overall force which must be supplied to perform the punchingoperation, it still does not enable thicker material to be punched sinceas pointed out above this is primarily determined by. the shearcharacteristics of the work material, i.e., paper, soft plastics andother compressible material are resistant to shearing when in multiplelayers.

One of the basic problems encountered in punching through largethicknesses of work material, be it paper, plastic, metal or whatever,is the difficulty in removing the material which is cut away during thepunching operation. Obviously, in the types of punching devicesdiscussed above the waste material is compacted beneath the malepunching element until it is driven through the female die as theelement penetrates the work material. This, of course, reduces theeffectiveness of the punching element as the thickness of work materialis increased.

One attempt to overcome the thickness limitation has been to utilize aseries of closely spaced rotary drill bits, but this is, of course,quite expensive and severely limits the choice of hole configuration.Various other attempts have been made to utilize a unitary hollowpunching member wherein the cut away material is driven through thehollow punching member. This, however, has been found to be almostcompletely unsatisfactory since the dimensions of the cut away materialmust necessarily be larger than the interior passage through thepunching member and thus, the waste material becomes clogged within thepassage rendering the punch inoperable unless the driving forces aresubstantially increased.

OBJECT S OF THE PRESENT INVENTION It is therefore a principal object ofthe present invention to provide a novel hole cutting apparatus whichenables one or more holes of any suitable configuration to be providedin any thickness of work material.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel holecutting apparatus for book binding applications, and the like, whichenables a plurality of holes of any predetermined configuration to becut through any desired thickness of work material.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel highspeed hole cutting apparatus which is compact and lightweight and whichincludes easily interchangeable cutting elements so that a single devicemay be utilized to cut variously configured holes through selected workmaterials.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel holecutting apparatus wherein the force required to perform the hole cuttingoperation is substantially less than that required utilizing prior artmultiple hole punching devices.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novelmeans for producing a plurality of holes in a work material such aspaper, plastics, metal, wood, and many other types of sheet material,utilizing cutter assemblies having at least two cutting elements perhole which reciprocate relative to each other to alternately engage thework material as the hole cutting members pass therethrough.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novelcutting apparatus wherein each cutter assembly includes at least twocutting elements which are disposed in side-byside relationship and areshaped to provide a passage therebetween so that as the cutting memberpasses through the work material, the cut portions of the material arecaused to pass through the passage in the cutting member.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novelmeans for cutting predetermined designs from a given work materialwherein the cut designs are caused to pass through a passage formed byand between two or more cutting elements which are caused to alternatelyengage the work material in cutting relationship.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION In accordance with the presentinvention, a novel material cutting apparatus is provided which includesone or more suitably configured cutter assemblies which are comprised oftwo or more cutting elements that are alternately displaced relative toeach other as they are caused to impact, perforate and pass through agiven work material so that each cutting element independently cutsthrough a portion of the work material and the sum of the independentcuts form the desired hole or cutout. The cutting elements are shaped soas to provide therebetween a passage through which cut material can beextracted during the cutting operation. The thickness of the materialthrough which a cut may be provided is limited only by practicalconsiderations of cutter element design since the work material itselftends to provide a guide means for aiding in the alignment of thecutting members as they pass therethrough.

One of the principal advantages of the present invention is that thethickness of the work material through which holes may be provided islimited only by the chosen design characteristics of the respectivecutting members.

Another advantage of the present invention is that since much greaterthicknesses of work material can be penetrated, the rate at which agiven quantity of work material can be provided with the desired holesis considerably increased over that possible using prior art holepunching apparatus.

Still another advantage of the present invention is that because thecutter assemblies require no mating apertures and are lightweight inconstruction, cutter assemblies for providing alternative holeconfiguration can be easily interchanged by the user.

Still another advantage of the present invention is that in an alternateembodiment it can be used to cut designs of a predeterminedconfiguration from a stack of sheet work material.

Still other advantages of the present invention will become apparent tothose skilled in the art after having read the following detaileddescription of the preferred embodiments which are illustrated in theseveral figures of the drawing.

IN THE DRAWING FIGS. 1(a), 1(b) and 1(0) schematically illustrates themanner in which the cutter assemblies of the present invention operatein cutting through a given thickness of work material.

FIGS. 2(a), 2(b), 2(c), 3(a), 3(b), 4(a) and 4(b) are cross sectionstaken through a multi-layered stack of work material to illustrate themanner in which the cutting elements pass therethrough.

FIGS. 5(a), 5(b) and 5(c) are cross sections taken through the end of acutter assembly to illustrate the manner in which the cut material isremoved from the hole situs after it is cut away.

FIG. 6 is a cross section taken through the end of a modified cuttingelement having means for expediting passage of the cut material awayfrom the cut situs.

FIG. 6(a) is an enlarged cross section of the cutting edge encircled inFIG. 6.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a hole cutting machine such as may beused to provide binding holes in the edge of book materials and thelike.

FIG. 8 is a cross section taken through the apparatus illustrated inFIG. 7 illustrating the inner workings of the device.

FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view of the cutter actuating structureof FIG. 8 illustrating the manner in which the cutting elements aremounted in accordance with a preferred embodiment.

FIGS. 10(a) and 10(b) are partial perspective views illustrating singlepiece multi-element cutter assembly and the mounting means therefor.FIGS. ll(a) and ll(b) illustrate alternative cutting blade elements foruse in the present invention.

FIGS. 12(0) and 12(b) illustrate snap-in mounting feature for theindividual cutting elements illustrated in FIGS. ll(a) and ll(b).

FIGS. 13(a), 13(b) and 13(0) illustrate end views of several differentconfigurations of cutters utilized in accordance with the presentinvention.

FIG. 14 illustrates an alternative manner in which the cutting elementsmay be reciprocated when in operation.

FIG. 15 illustrates a further modification of the invention wherein thedrive motor which drives the cutting elements is also utilized tocompress the work material down upon the reciprocating cutting elements.

FIGS. 16 and 17 illustrate a still further modification of the inventionwhich may be utilized to cut predetemtined designs from sheet material.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION Referring now to thedrawing, the basics of operation of the present invention will bedescribed. In FIG. 1(a), there is shown an elongated hole cutterassembly 10 for cutting a generally rectangularly shaped hole through astack of work material 12 comprised of several sheets of paper, plastic,etc. The cutter assembly 10 is comprised of a pair of elongatedchannel-shaped cutting elements 14 and 16 the ends 20 of which aresharpened in a suitable manner so that upon being impacted into the workmaterial 12 they will be caused to progressively cut therethrough. Thecutting elements 14 and 16 are held in parallel mating relationship by asuitable guide means (not shown) and the upper ends thereof are coupledto a drive means 22 which includes a pair of lever arms 24 and 26 whichare driven in oscillatory fashion by the drive shaft 28 to which theyare affixed.

As the material 12 and the cutter assembly 10 are moved relativelytoward each other and the shaft 28 turned to the clockwise position, asillustrated in FIG. 1(1)), the cutter element 14 will be caused tostrike the work material and be driven a short distance thereintocausing a C-shaped perforation to be provided through one or more layersof the material 12. As the cutter assembly 10 and the material 12continue to be moved into engagement with one another and the shaft 28is caused to turn in the opposite direction to retract the cutterelement 14 and drive the cutter element 16 into the material 12, arectangular perforation is provided through the upper layers of thematerial as illustrated in FIG. 1(c).

In FIG. 2(a), a cross section through a stack of paper comprising thework material 12 is shown before cutting is commenced. In FIG. 2(b), thesame cross section is illustrated after cutting element 14 has beendriven thereinto, in the manner shown in FIG. 1(b), to make its firstcut 30 through one or more layers of the material 12. In FIG. 2(c),cutting element 14 has been withdrawn and the other cutting element 16has been driven into the material 12 forming its first cut 32.

In FIGS. 3(a) and 4(0), and 3(b) and 4(b), the manner in which thecutting elements 14 nd 16 respectively, are successively driven throughthe stack of material 12 is sequentially indicated. In order toaccomplish this cutting operation, the work material 12 may bemaintained static and the cutter assembly l0 moved into engagementtherewith, or the position of the cutter assembly 10 may be maintainedfixed and the work material 12 moved into engagement with the cutter. Ineither case, the opposed reciprocating action of the cutting elements 14and 16 will cause the material cut from the material 12 to be displacedinto the passage formed between the cutters and variously upset so asnot to become packed therein so that it can easily be removed from thepassage.

Referring now to FIGS. 5(a), 5(b) and 5(0), one means of expediting theremoval of the portions cut from the stack of work material 12 isillustrated. As indicated in FIGS. 5(a), 5(b) and 5(0), the portions cutfrom the material 12 will be individually upset by the frictionalengagement with the reciprocating cutting elements 14 and 16 so that byturning the cutters upside down the cut away segments can be caused todrop through the passage formed between the cutting elements and thus beremoved from the situs of the cut.

In FIG. 5(a), for example, the cutting elements 14 and 16 are showndisposed in side-by-side relationship after having been driven through asingle layer of paper 34, or the like, so as to cut away a rectangularsegment 36 therefrom. Noting that the cutting edges 37 of elements 14and 16 are bevelled so that the sharp edge is at the outer wall thereof,the dimensions of the particle 36 will be slightly larger than theinterior dimensions of the space 38 between cutting elements 14 and 16.However, because of the manner in which the cutting surfaces are dressedthe inclined faces of the edges 37 will cause a force to be exerted onthe particle 36 which causes it to be deformed slightly so that it caneasily be received within the smaller space of the passage 38.

As cutting element 16 is driven further into the material 12 so as tocut through the second layer and cutting element 14 is withdrawn asillustrated in FIG. 5(b), the frictional engagement of the inner walls40 of cutting element 14 will cause the particle 36 to be upset and thusbe allowed to drop through the passage 38 as indicated in FIG. 5(c).Simultaneously, a second cut segment 41 is cut away and upon furtherrelative translation of cutting elements 14 and 16 will likewise beupset and caused to drop through the passage 38. This cutting action andwaste removal function will continue as the assembly 10 passes throughthe material 12 so that the waste material is continuously removed fromthe hole being produced.

Where the present invention is to be utilized for cutting throughrelatively stiff resilient material such as layers of plastic, forexample, it may be desirable to serrate or otherwise prepare at leastone wall of the inner surface of the cutting elements 15 and 17, asillustrated in FIG. 6, so as to insure that the cut away particles aredisplaced away from the hole cut through the material. In accordancewith this embodiment, during the downstroke of one of the cuttingelements the sawtooth edges 42 will engage the edge of the cut awaymaterial and cause it to be displaced downwardly, while on the upstrokethe material will be allowed to slip off with a ratchet-.

like action and displacement thereof through the aperture 38 will beeffected.

Also illustrated in the enlarged cross section of the encircled portionof FIG. 6 shown in FIG. 6(a), is the manner in which the actual cuttingedges of the elements and 17 may be prepared in order to assist in thealignment of the elements 15 and 17 as they penetrate into the workmaterial. In this embodiment the outer edges 43 are bevelled at a slightangle so that as the cutting edge initially penetrates the work materialthe lateral forces exerted on the cutting edge will be substantiallybalanced so that the tendency for the elements 15 and 17 to be separatedas they enter the work material is reduced. Furthermore, since theinitial cut is slightly smaller than the outer dimensions of the cuttingelements there will be a small inward lateral force applied to the outerwalls which will tend to counter the outward force on the elementsproduced by the waste chips before they are upset and fall throughpassage 38.

Turning now to FIG. 7 of the drawing, a perspective view of a simpleganged punching apparatus is illustrated which is suitable for use incutting a plurality of holes along the edge of a plurality of sheets ofpaper, or the like, such as is required to enable ring binding thereof.The simple device illustrated is comprised of a rectangularly shapedhousing 44 having a lever 46 pivotally mounted thereto to pivot aboutpoint 48. Telescopically mounted over the upper portion of the housing44 is a platform 50 which is spring biased upwardly by suitable meanscontained within the housing 44.

Attached to the lever 46 at the point 52 is one end of a shaft 54 whichis used to draw down the press foot 56 when the lever 46 is rotatedforwardly. A plurality of cutters, such as have been described above,are mounted beneath the platform 50 and within the housing 44 ininverted relationship, such that when a stack of work material 58 isdisposed upon the platform 50 and beneath the presser member 56 asillustrated, and the lever 46 is rotated forwardly, the platform 50 willbe driven downwardly so that the cutters extend through a slot along theback side of of the platform 50 and are caused to engage the workmaterial 58 to cut the desired plurality of holes therethrough.

In FIG. 8 of the drawing, which is a cross section of the devicedepicted in FIG. 7 taken along the lines 8-8, the inner workings of theapparatus are illustrated in detail. The housing 44 is open at the topand includes at the four comers thereof spring means 60, or the like,suitable for upwardly biasing the platform 50 which covers the opening.The platform 50 is adapted to telescopically fit over the housing 44 asforce is applied to the top thereof by the foot 56 via the work material58. Presser member 56 is normally maintained in its upward position bythe spring means 53 (illustrated in FIG. 7) so that the work material 58may be positioned on the platform 50 and slid under the shoe 56 to abuttthe guide wall 62.

Positioned beneath the platform 50 are a plurality of cutters 70 whichinclude front and rear cutting elements 14 and 16, which arerespectively mounted to a pair of bars 72 and 74 which are shown incross section (see also FIG. 9). The bars 72 and 74 include slots alongthe sides thereof for receiving the spurs 76 and 78 of the drive rods 80and 82 respectively. The lower ends of the drive rods 80 and 82 includepinions 84 and 86 that engage slots in the yoke 88 which is keyed to theshaft 90. The drive members 80 and 82 are maintained in alignment by thebearing surfaces 92 and 94 of the bracket 96 which also serves as themounting means for the shaft 90 as is more clearly indicated in FIG. 9.

In order that the blade assembly may be easily removed from the bracket96, a wedge shaped insert 98 is provided as a portion of the bracket 96.The wedge shaped insert 98 whose inner face supports and provides abearing surface for bars 72 and 74, may be held in its illustratedposition by any suitable means which when removed or released allowinsert 98 to move upwards and thereby release the pressure on drive rodsand 82 so that bars 72 and 74 may be easily withdrawn from the end. Inthe apparatus described, at least two of the brackets and drivemechanisms as illustrated in FIG. 9 are utilized and each issubstantially identical to that illustrated so that the cutterassemblies can be quickly and easily removed.

Coupled to the shaft is a bell crank 102 and linkage 104 whichoperatively connects the crank 102 to an eccentric drive mechanism 106.The eccentric drive mechanism 106 is driven by an electric motor 108(see FIG. 7) and imparts an oscillatory motion to the shaft 90 as it isturned at a predetermined speed. A suitable frequency of oscillation ofthe shaft 90, and thus the reciprocating frequency of the cutters l4 and16, has been found to be within the range of 1,000 to 3,000 cycles perminute. The housing 44 may also include a suitable drawer typereceptacle 107 which can be used for collecting the chips cut from thework material and providing easy disposal thereof.

In operation, the work material 58 is placed on the platfonn 50 anddisplaced leftwardly, as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, to abutt the stop62. The motor is then turned on to start the reciprocating action ofcutting elements 14 and 16 and the lever 46 is rotated forwardly causingthe foot 56 to press the work material 58 against the platform 50driving it downwardly so that the material 58 progressively engagescutting members 14 and 16 as they pass through the aperture 110 in theplatform 50.

At the rear of the foot 56, a strip of firm, but resilient material 1 12is provided so that the cutting edges of elements 14 and 16 may engagethis strip after passing through the material 58 without causing damagethereto. After the hole has been'cut through the material 58, the lever46 is returned to its upper position, and the springs 60 have driven theplatform and work material upwardly and out of engagement with thecutters, the perforated work material may be removed from the device.

Turning now to FIGS. 10(a) and 10(b), exemplary multiple cutterassemblies and the manner of mounting them to the carrying bar areillustrated. In the embodiment of FIG. 10( a),

a plurality of cutter elements 114, 115, etc., are formed from a singlepiece 116 of tempered steel by cutting out a predetermined configurationand then bending the side edges 118 thereof forwardly to form thechannel-shaped cutting elements. The ends 120 thereof are then suitablyconfigured and the inner edges thereof dressed to provide the mostsuitable cutting edge for penetrating the work material. It should alsobe noted that in addition to the angled cutting edges provided at theend of the side portions 118, the portion of the cutting edge 120 formedin the flat side 122 may be V-shaped so that the cutting edge 120progressively engages the work material as it strikes and thus providesa cutting action rather than an abrupt cleavage over the entire edgethereof.

In accordance with this embodiment, the plural cutter blade assembly 116is received within a recessed edge 124 of the bar 126 and is securelymounted thereto by a plurality of spacer segments 128 which fasten thecomposite cutting element assembly 116 into place. The depth of therecess 124 is the same as the width of the side portions 118 so thatwhen the bar 126 is placed into facing engagement with its complement,the edges 130 of the cutting elements will slidably engage the likeedges of the mating cutting element assembly.

It should also be noted that transverse channels 132 are cut through thebar 126 so that the chips of waste cut from the work material may dropthrough the cutter assembly to be received in a chip collectioncompartment of the device. The end portions of the spacers 128 adjacentthe cutter 115 are shown broken away to illustrate the manner in whichthe unitary cutter assembly fits into the recess in the bar 126 as wellas to illustrate the configuration of the cutting element assembly 1 16per se.

In FIG. 10(b) an alternate embodiment of a unitary cutting elementassembly is illustrated which is formed by corrugating a length ofsuitable material 200, cutting away the unwanted portion to leave thecutting elements 202, 204, 206 and then sharpening the ends 210 of thecutting elements. The assembly is then spot welded at points 212 to thecarrying bar 214. It should be understood that although the compositecutting element assemblies illustrated have channel-shaped cuttingelements to produce a rectangularly shaped hole when coupled with itscomplement, either assembly could be modified to provide other cuttingconfigurations. Channelshaped cutting element is intended to mean any ofthe cutting element configurations illustrated in the drawing as well asobvious modifications thereof and is not intended to be limited toelements having a semicircular cross section, semirectangular crosssection, or other particular configuration.

In FIGS. 11(a), 11(b), 12(a) and 12(b), an alternate cutting elementstructures and methods of assembling the same to the carrying bar isillustrated. In FIG. 11(a), a single cutting element 134 for cutting arectangular hole is shown independently mounted in a slot 136 in the bar138. A suitable means for attaching cutting element 134 to the bar 138is illustrated in FIGS. 12(a) and 12(b) wherein tabs 140 and 142 areprovided in cutting element 134 for receipt within appropriate slots inthe bar 138.

In FIG. 11(b), a cutting element of the type used to form a cutter 144for cutting a round or oval hole is illustrated. Element 144 may beaffixed to the slot 137 in the bar 139 in a manner similar to thatillustrated in FIG. 12, or by any other suitable mounting arrangement.These individual snap in cutter elements offer the advantage that asingle element can be replaced without requiring replacement of theentire assembly when only one element is damaged.

In FIGS. 13(0), 13(b) and 13(0) of the drawing, the cutting ends ofthree different exemplary configurations of cutters are illustrated. InFIG. 13(0) the mating halves 146 and 148 are shown abutting each otherat 150 to form the desired rectangularly shaped hole. Similarly, in FIG.13(b) the semicircular halves 152 and 154 are shown engaging each otherat 156 so as to provide a circular hole of a diameter substantiallyequal to the outside diameter of the cutters.

In FIG. 13(0), still another cutter configuration is illustrated to showthat arbitrary hole configurations can likewise be provided. In thisembodiment, which is used to produce an aperture known to bookbinders asa hammerhead aperture, three cutting elements 158, 159, and 160 slidablyengage one another at 162, 163, and 164 as in the other embodiments. Inorder to illustrate an additional modification which might be foundsuitable for certain applications, it will be noted that the engagingedges of the cutting elements which meet at 162 and 163 are bevelled soas to assist in maintaining the lateral alignment of the cutters. Thishas not been found necessary, however, in the simple cutter structuresfor cutting relatively small apertures since the cutters are, in mostcases, sufficiently rigid to maintain their own alignment. In addition,as pointed out above, the apertures cut through the first few layers ofthe material serve as a guide means for assisting in the maintenance ofalignment of the cutters as they penetrate deeper into the workmaterial.

The elements 158 and 159 may be either independently driven out of phasewith each other by a suitable triple drive apparatus or may be attachedto each other and driven simultaneously and out of phase with theelement 160. In order to produce the hammerhead apertures, the cutterassembly is positioned so as to slightly overlap the edge 166 of thework material as illustrated.

In F IG. [4 of the drawing, still another manner of imparting reciprocalmotion to the respective cutting elements 164 and 166 is illustrated. Inthis embodiment, the cutting element cartying bars 168 and 170 areattached to drive members 172 and 174 which are themselves driven by aneccentric cam 176 which imparts to the cutting elements 164 and 166 thedesired oscillatory motion.

Referring now to FIG. 15, there is shown a still further modification ofthe invention wherein the drive motor 180 drives a rack and pinion 184via a gear reduction and clutching means 182 which is designed torapidly accelerate the presser member 186 until it engages the workmaterial 188 at which time the downward speed thereof is decelerated toa rate suitable for causing the work material to engage the cutters 190so that the desired holes may be cut in the work material.

The same motor is coupled through the gear reduction means 182 to drivethe oscillatory drive shaft as illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9. Inaccordance with this embodiment, the entire hole cutting operation isperformed electrically once the work material 188 is positioned onplatform 190 and the motor energized.

Where it is desirable that the cutter of the present invention beutilized to cut from a stack of sheet stock pieces of material, such aslabels or the like, having a predetermined configuration rather than tocut finished holes in the material a cutter embodiment such as isillustrated in FIGS. 16 and 17 may be employed. In accordance with thismodification, the cutting elements 200 and 202 have their cutting edgesdressed to the outside so that the cutting edges 204 and 206 are alongthe inner walls 208 and 210, respectively, of the cutting elements 200and 202. This, of course, is to be contrasted with the devicesillustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 which have the sharp cutting edgessubstantially disposed along the outer wall of the cutting elements sothat the finish cut is provided in the sheet material rather than on thecut away portions as in the instant embodiment.

In this embodiment, since the dimensions of the material 212 out fromthe stock material 214 are substantially equal to the interiordimensions between the inner walls 208 and 210 of the cutting elements200 and 202, respectively, the tendency to upset the pieces 212 out fromthe stock 214 is reduced in favor of simply allowing it to be displacedthrough the passage 216 formed between the cutting elements. However,because of the necessary thickness of the cutter elements 200 and 202,it will be noted that the layers of stock material 218 from which thepieces 212 have been cut will be warped slightly and possibly even tornas they are displaced by the cutting element.

To provide such cuts, as would be the case where the device is used tocut out oval or circular labels, or the like, it may be found desirableto cut the stock material into relatively small squares having at leastone edge positioned very close to a cutting edge of the device so as toinduce a tear in the stock material in order to reduce the frictionalengagement between the waste stock material and the outside surfaces ofthe cutters where the depth of the cut is substantial. In thealternative, an additional reciprocating single or multiple bladeperforating means 228 and 230 might be provided adjacent to the designcutting elements either separate from or integral therewith, so as toperforate the waste material 218 and allow it to deform away from thecutting elements 200 and 202, thus reducing the frictional engagementtherebetween.

A top view of an oval design cutting device is illustrated in FIG. 17.This embodiment comprises a pair of cutting elements 220 and 222, whichare similar to the cutting elements 200 and 202 illustrated in FIG. 16,and are for cutting the oval shaped work material 224 from the stack ofrectangular stock material 226. In order to allow the waste material tobe cut away from the outer edges of the cutting elements 220 and 222, apair of additional cutting elements 229 and 231, which may be integralwith the elements 220 and 222 respectively, or independent thereof, areprovided for producing a cut through the portions 232 and 234 of thewaste material to allow it to be discarded to the sides as indicated bythe dashed lines. A side view of the cutting edge 228 is illustrated bythe dashed lines 228 in FIG. 16.

In accordance with this modification of the present invention, thecutting elements 220 and 222 need not be oval as shown but may be of anyselected configuration and may include more than two cutting elements.The particular oval configuration is shown for purposes of illustrationonly.

in accordance with the present invention, many other alternateembodiments are contemplated which may include other features such asproviding sawtooth cutting edges on the reciprocating cutters so as tofurther increase the cutting speed of the device through the workmaterial. In addition, in order to increase the cutting speed of thecutters through the work material by reducing the frictional engagementbetween the work material and the surfaces of the cutting elements, thesurfaces of the cutters may be impregnated with a lubricant coating suchas is known in the trade as Microseal.

Furthennore, it is contemplated that a manual embodiment for light workmay be designed by providing a suitable gear reduction drive systemwhereby the cutters are manually driven as a manual lever such as lever46 of FIG. 7 is depressed. Moreover, for certain embodiments, it may befound desirable to provide an electrical vibratory drive means or ahydraulically actuable drive means for the cutting blades so as toproduce the desired reciprocating motion described above.

in still other embodiments, it might be found desirable to provide acutting element reciprocation ratio of greater than ll so as to causeone element to strike the work material several times during the time ittakes for the other blade or blades to strike the work material once.This would be practical for example, in the case where multiple cuttingelements of differing shapes are combined to cut an odd shaped designand one or more of the cutter elements are required to makesubstantially larger cuts than the others.

In embodiments where the peripheral design of the hole to be cut throughthe material is irregular to the extent that more than two cuttingelements are required, I foresee that any suitable number ofinterrelated cutting elements can be provided so as to produce thedesired aperture or edge scalloping required.

While the invention has been described with reference to specificpreferred embodiments, many other alterations and modifications of theinvention will be apparent to those of skill in the art after havingread the foregoing description. I, therefore, intend that the appendedclaims be interpreted as covering all modifications which fall withinthe true spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for simultaneously cutting a plurality of openings througha work material, comprising:

a plurality of elongated, generally tubular cutter assemblies ofsubstantially uniform transverse cross section disposed in spaced apartrelationship and having a cutting end and a discharge end, each cutterassembly including at least two elongated channel-shaped cuttingelements disposed in parallel adjacent relationship and having facingsurfaces defining an open passageway communicating said cutting end andsaid discharge end, the extremities of said cutting elements at saidcutting end providing cutting edges for cuttingly engaging the workmaterial;

a platform for supporting the work material at a fixed angularrelationship with respect to said cutter assemblies;

drive means for imparting opposed reciprocative motion in parallel linesof movement to the cutting elements forming each cutter assembly; and

means for causing operative engagement between said cutting edges andthe work material, whereby segments of the work material are cut away,passed through the passageways and discharged from the discharge ends ofeach cutter assembly.

2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein at least a portion of theinterior surfaces of said cutting elements are configured to engage andurge the cut away segments of work material through said passageway tosaid discharge end.

3. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the longitudinal axes of saidcutter assemblies are vertically disposed with said cutting edges facingupwardly, and said platform includes openings for receiving said cuttingends whereby the underside of work material supported by said platformis engaged by said cutting edges when said platform is moved downwardly.

4. Apparatus as recited in claim 3 and further comprising a pressermember operative to move said platform downwardly.

5. Apparatus as recited in claim 4 wherein said presser member isactivated by said drive means.

6. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said cutting edges arebeveled to the inside of said cutting elements.

7. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said cutting edges arebeveled to the outside of said cutting elements.

8. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said cutting edges arebeveled to both the inside and outside of said cutting elements.

9. Apparatus for cutting an opening in a work material comprising:

first and second channel-shaped cutting elements disposed in adjacent,parallel relationship to form an elongated, generally tubular cutterassembly having an open passageway communicating a cutting end and adischarge end and having a substantially uniform transverse crosssection, the terminating portions of said cutting elements at saidcutting end being configured to provide cutting edges for cuttinglyengaging the work material; and

drive means coupled to said cutter assembly and operative to impartopposed reciprocative motion in parallel lines of movement to saidcutting elements.

10. Apparatus as recited in claim 9 and further comprising means fortransporting the work material into engagement with said cutting edges.

11. Apparatus as recited in claim 10 wherein said cutter assembly isdisposed with said cutting edges facing upwardly and said means fortransporting includes a movable platform having an opening for receivingsaid cutting end, whereby material transported by said platform isengaged by said cutting edges when said platform is moved downwardly.

12. Apparatus as recited in claim 11 and further comprising a pressermember operative to move said platform downwardly.

13. Apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein at least a portion of theinterior facing surfaces of said cutting elements defining saidpassageway are configured to induce migration of segments cut from thework material through said passageway to said discharge end.

14. Apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein said cutting edges arebeveled to the inside of said cutting elements.

15. Apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein said cutting edges arebeveled to the outside of said cutting elements.

16. Apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein said cutting edges arebeveled to both the inside and outside of said cutting elements.

17. In an apparatus for cutting through one or more sheets of workmaterial and including reciprocating cutting means for operativelyengaging the work material, an improved cutting means, comprising:

a cutter assembly including at least two elongated channelshaped cuttingelements disposed in parallel adjacent relationship with the facingwalls of said cutting elements forming an open passageway communicatingone end of said cutter assembly with the other end, the terminatingportions of said cutting elements at said one end being configured toprovide cutting edges for cuttingly engaging the work material, saidcutting elements having transverse cross sections substantially uniformover their lengths.

18. In an apparatus as recited in claim 17 wherein said cutting edgesare beveled to the inside of said cutting elements.

19. Apparatus as recited in claim 17 wherein said cutting edges arebeveled to the outside of said cutting elements.

20. Apparatus as recited in claim 17 wherein said cutting edges arebeveled to both the inside and outside of said cutting elements.

21. In an apparatus as recited in claim 17 wherein at least a portion ofthe inside walls of said cutting elements defining said passageway areconfigured to induce segments cut from the work material to migratethrough said passageway for discharge at said other end.

22. In an apparatus as recited in claim 17 wherein a plurality of saidcutting elements are ganged together to simultaneously engage the workmaterial.

l k t i

1. Apparatus for simultaneously cutting a plurality of openings througha work material, comprising: a plurality of elongated, generally tubularcutter assemblies of substantially uniform transverse cross sectiondisposed in spaced apart relationship and having a cutting end and adischarge end, each cutter assembly including at least two elongatedchannel-shaped cutting elements disposed in parallel adjacentrelationship and having facing surfaces defining an open passagewaycommunicating said cutting end and said discharge end, the extremitiesof said cutting elements at said cutting end providing cutting edges forcuttingly engaging the work material; a platform for supporting the workmaterial at a fixed angular relationship with respect to said cutterassemblies; drive means for imparting opposed reciprocative motion inparallel lines of movement to the cutting elements forming each cutterassembly; and means for causing operative engagement between saidcutting edges and the work material, whereby segments of the workmaterial are cut away, passed through the passageways and dischargedfrom the discharge ends of each cutter assembly.
 2. Apparatus as recitedin claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the interior surfaces of saidcutting elements are configured to engage and urge the cut away segmentsof work material through said passageway to said discharge end. 3.Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the longitudinal axes of saidcutter assemblies are vertically disposed with said cutting edges facingupwardly, and said platform includes openings for receiving said cuttingends whereby the underside of work material supported by said platformis engaged by said cutting edges when said platform is moved downwardly.4. Apparatus as recited in claim 3 and further comprising a pressermember operative to move said platform downwardly.
 5. Apparatus asrecited in claim 4 wherein said presser member is activated by saiddrive means.
 6. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said cuttingedges are beveled to the inside of said cutting elements.
 7. Apparatusas recited in claim 1 wherein said cutting edges are beveled to theoutside of said cutting elements.
 8. Apparatus as recited in claim 1wherein said cutting edges are beveled to both the inside and outside ofsaid cutting elements.
 9. Apparatus for cutting an opening in a workmaterial comprising: first and second channel-shaped cutting elementsdisposed in adjacent, parallel relationship to form an elongated,generally tubular cutter assembly having an open passagewaycommunicating a cutting end and a discharge end and having asUbstantially uniform transverse cross section, the terminating portionsof said cutting elements at said cutting end being configured to providecutting edges for cuttingly engaging the work material; and drive meanscoupled to said cutter assembly and operative to impart opposedreciprocative motion in parallel lines of movement to said cuttingelements.
 10. Apparatus as recited in claim 9 and further comprisingmeans for transporting the work material into engagement with saidcutting edges.
 11. Apparatus as recited in claim 10 wherein said cutterassembly is disposed with said cutting edges facing upwardly and saidmeans for transporting includes a movable platform having an opening forreceiving said cutting end, whereby material transported by saidplatform is engaged by said cutting edges when said platform is moveddownwardly.
 12. Apparatus as recited in claim 11 and further comprisinga presser member operative to move said platform downwardly. 13.Apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein at least a portion of theinterior facing surfaces of said cutting elements defining saidpassageway are configured to induce migration of segments cut from thework material through said passageway to said discharge end. 14.Apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein said cutting edges are beveledto the inside of said cutting elements.
 15. Apparatus as recited inclaim 9 wherein said cutting edges are beveled to the outside of saidcutting elements.
 16. Apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein saidcutting edges are beveled to both the inside and outside of said cuttingelements.
 17. In an apparatus for cutting through one or more sheets ofwork material and including reciprocating cutting means for operativelyengaging the work material, an improved cutting means, comprising: acutter assembly including at least two elongated channel-shaped cuttingelements disposed in parallel adjacent relationship with the facingwalls of said cutting elements forming an open passageway communicatingone end of said cutter assembly with the other end, the terminatingportions of said cutting elements at said one end being configured toprovide cutting edges for cuttingly engaging the work material, saidcutting elements having transverse cross sections substantially uniformover their lengths.
 18. In an apparatus as recited in claim 17 whereinsaid cutting edges are beveled to the inside of said cutting elements.19. Apparatus as recited in claim 17 wherein said cutting edges arebeveled to the outside of said cutting elements.
 20. Apparatus asrecited in claim 17 wherein said cutting edges are beveled to both theinside and outside of said cutting elements.
 21. In an apparatus asrecited in claim 17 wherein at least a portion of the inside walls ofsaid cutting elements defining said passageway are configured to inducesegments cut from the work material to migrate through said passagewayfor discharge at said other end.
 22. In an apparatus as recited in claim17 wherein a plurality of said cutting elements are ganged together tosimultaneously engage the work material.